25/09/2025
This year, the Impressions family has been working hard over the last 3 weekends to transform the Auckland Indian Association Incorporated (AIAI)'s Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Navratri 2025 🕉🙏🏼🤍❤️💙💛🩶🧡💚🩷
The last couple of years have been really hard since losing our dearest Mum (Ba). Navratri has always been a special time of year for our family, and despite her health issues, we always took Ba to visit the mandir inside the hall. Then, without fail, we'd be in the kitchen to say hello to our family & friends, lend a hand, have some delicious food, & take some home to enjoy later!
A few weeks before we lost Ba, we also lost our dearest Jamna Mai ( Jamnaben Prema ; Ba's aunt/Foi)...who was the main chai maker for Navratri. It's not the same without both Jamna Mai & Ba there, but I feel them there with us 💙🙏🏼🩷
This year, I chose to hang some of Ba's colourful saris in the hall to honour her, some of which she wore to Navratri herself and some I couldn't bring myself to let go. Our marigolds & fairylights also hang from the mandir, so I hope that Ba & Mai love what we've put together this year.
I've loved seeing all the colourful outfits and people taking lots of photos, especially in our little Indian palace corner of the kitchen/dining area! 😄 We've been getting lots of compliments so far, so please, take your photos and tag us in 😁📸
Happy Navratri, from all of our Impressions family
😊🧡🩷💙
[PHOTOS - all rights belong to Asha Vaidya ]
